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And they have refused to open inquests into either death.

Merok Park, which had the same owners as Grantley Court, was given a clean bill of health in January last year, even though families said it was a ‘hovel’ and neighbours reported screaming to the police.

Mr Dodd's family said they are in 'total shock' that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) failed to publish their early concerns about Grantley Court for eight months, and believe the information could have pointed to problems at Merok Park.

Staff called for another inspection in September after raising concerns and the CQC found an ‘overpowering’ smell of urine and patients forced to wash in cold water.

But rather than replacing or overseeing the management until the residents could be re-homed, the watchdog suddenly ordered the home to close, declaring it a 'serious risk' to residents.

Residents were evacuated on a freezing cold night as Merok park was shut, but ambulances ordered by the council failed to show, leaving the elderly people shivering

Shock: Family members of those living at Merok Park were told about the move only hours earlier

Elderly residents were left shivering in their pyjamas on December 9 as Merok Park was shut and ambulances ordered by the council failed to turn up.

Family members were told about the move only hours earlier. Mr Dodd’s family accuse the CQC of closing the home at too little notice, causing immense upheaval.

Mr Dodd's son Russell, told the Mail: 'Couldn't somebody have moved into that home and looked after those people?

'Whoever made the decision to do what they did, and the time of what they did, that was wrong.

'The CQC and social services - they are the people who have to answer the questions.'

The CQC last night apologised for the distress but said responsibility lay with the care homes’ owners and the local councils.

It insists it warned Surrey County Council four days before Merok Park was closed.

A council spokesman said: ‘When the Care Quality Commission informed us of its intention to serve a notice on this nursing home our role was to organise alternative homes for everyone.

‘Once the CQC’s court order was issued, forcing the residents to leave, this had all been arranged.’

Sutton Council said it was forced to act urgently after owners Soondressen and Maleenee Cooppen decided to close Grantley Court with just 72 hours’ notice.

Thought to have made £650,000 a year from each site, the Mauritian couple live in a £2.5million home in south-west London and drive a fleet of luxury cars.

Owners Soondressen and Maleenee Cooppen have repeatedly declined to apologise to the families

They allegedly ran the homes on a shoestring and have repeatedly declined to apologise, with Mrs Cooppen telling the Mail: ‘We are not interested.’

A Sutton Council spokesman said: ‘We absolutely did not want to disrupt the lives of older, vulnerable people. We completely sympathise with the families involved.’

Paul Burstow, a Liberal Democrat MP and former care minister, said: ‘The conditions at Grantley Court were shocking. The CQC were right to serve the notice to close the home.

'However, I am concerned that it took so long for the CQC to publish the report from its first inspection – they had already picked up problems and relatives deserved to know.’

Sally Warren, CQC's deputy chief inspector of adult social care in London, said: 'We are sorry that the report on Grantley Court from an inspection last January was not published until September.

'This wasn't good enough - we know that our reports are an important source of information for the public, and that they - alongside regular monitoring visits they do themselves to check up on the safety of the people in their care - are useful for local authorities too.

'When we identified serious concerns at both Grantley Court and Merok Park, we took action straight away. The concerns at Merok Park represented a more serious immediate risk to people's safety, so that home was closed immediately.

'The failings identified at both homes were appalling, and the provider should be ashamed of the 'care' their services were delivering.'

Police are investigating unexplained injuries suffered by four dementia patients at Grantley Court.

48 hours after care home move, grandfather was dead

With his doting granddaughter by his side, Alfred Dodd celebrates turning 85 on Christmas Day in 2013.

Although fragile and bruised, he is surrounded by cards and a birthday balloon from his adoring family.

Less than a year later, Mr Dodd died after being forced out of his care home on one of the coldest nights of the year.

Mr Dodd, 85, died from bronchopneumonia, a lung infection usually linked to a cold or flu, after residents were moved from Merok park (pictured)

How the Mail reported the tragic events at the care homes last December

The great-grandfather’s death was shrouded in secrecy with a coroner deciding not to hold an inquest into his death and authorities refusing to reveal his name.

Mr Dodd, who was known to friends as Mick, died from pneumonia less than 48 hours after the upheaval of the move from Merok Park in Banstead, Surrey.

His formal causes of death include bronchopneumonia, a lung infection usually linked to a cold or flu. He also had prostate cancer and a urine infection.

His family are now calling for the Care Quality Commission to answer urgent questions about why the ‘terrible’ evacuation was ordered with such little notice.

Their call is echoed by the family of Winifred Lake, a 91-year-old great-grandmother who died less than two weeks after she was suddenly moved from the care home where she had lived for 25 years.

They believe she would still be alive if she was not forced out so suddenly.

Mr Dodd, who was married to Barbara, 75, had a son, two daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The former office manager had become desperately unwell with dementia and was taken to hospital just over a year ago. While his family were reluctant to have him put in full-time care, they eventually had him placed at Merok Park, with the costs covered in part by the family and by his pension.

Mr Dodd’s son Russell, 55, a construction manager from Chipstead, Surrey, said they were in ‘total shock’ to discover there had been official reports of an ‘overwhelming’ smell of urine at Merok Park with residents forced to bathe in cold water.

Despite the CQC’s findings, they believe inspectors should have managed a measured evacuation of the home, taking it over for a time before allowing residents to be moved when they were ready.

Instead, Mr Dodd’s son was told about the move just a few hours before it took place on December 9 last year.

Mr Dodd, who bruised easily and was suffering with a large pressure sore, was evacuated in the dark at about 5.30pm.

His son said: ‘Couldn’t somebody have moved into that home and looked after those people?

'Whoever made the decision to do what they did and the time of what they did, that was wrong.

‘The CQC and social services – they are the people that have to answer the questions.’

Mr Dodd’s grandson Oliver, 17, added: ‘I don’t think it’s right to just shut the place down and chuck people out in the cold.

'He was already on the edge. That could have put him over the edge.’

Mr Dodd’s daughter Julie said they were assured by the coroner he died of natural causes and not because of the move.

Mrs Lake was at Grantley Court for nearly 25 years until the south London nursing home, which has the same owners as Merok Park, was evacuated on December 12, at two days’ notice.

Her family believe her death on Christmas Day, partly from hypertension, was caused by the upheaval. Tony Lake, 62, said he visited his mother the day after the move and noticed her anxiety.

He added: ‘From then on in she didn’t eat and she was reluctant to drink. The cause for her not being here now is the move,’ he said.

‘It was the suddenness of it – not being able to prepare for it. The swiftness of the move was too much stress and led to her sudden deterioration. They [the CQC] had known all that time but they left it until the last minute. Lessons need to be learnt from this.’